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November 28, 1908 



SOMETHING TO CROW OVER 



The Best Christmas Novelty Ever Offered 



POINSETTIAS 



With Foliage as Natural as the REAL 



This Poinsettia is an Absolute Reproduction of the Natural. Five Sizes. 



CHRISTMAS FOLDER AND PRICE LIST READY NOW. 



PITTSBURG CUT FLOWER CO., Ltd. 



222 Oliver Ave., PITTSBURC. PA. 



weighing two pounds each. This gave 

 us the fruit while waiting for our vines 

 to grow and doing this gives a greater 

 opportunity to get your vines estab- 

 lished before fruiting, and does no 

 harm to the permanent vines. The 

 treatment of the permanent vines is to 

 build up gradually what is to bear 

 fruit a number of years, and must be 

 so considered through the next few 

 years. The growths should be cut 

 back at planting time to about 12-in. 

 from the ground and one strong lead 

 taken, then this cut back the next sea- 

 son to about 4 ft., and this length 

 should be added each year until the 

 desired length is secured. 



The second season it will be neces- 

 sary to determine the buds to be left 

 on either side of the rod to remain as 

 spurs. These are best left alternately 

 about twenty inches apart, this equal- 

 izing the crop all over the house, in- 

 stead of the bunches coming in pairs. 

 In regard to stopping the lateral 

 growths, the amount of space between 

 the vines must determine where to 

 stop; generally two eyes beyond the 

 bunch is considered right. A good 

 system to follow is to cover all the 

 roof with foliage, but not to have it 

 too crowded. The distance between 

 the vines should be not less than 4 

 ft., and 5 is better. Never allow the 

 growths to develop so that they have 

 to be cut with a knife, as this means 

 a loss to the vines to take off so much 

 foliage. It should be pinched when it 

 is young with the thumb and finger. 



Tying In. 



Perhaps here a word as to tying the 

 vines to the wires, (which should be 

 lS-in. from the glass.) Care should 

 be taken that the leader is kept 

 straight, as it gives the rod a much 

 better appearance when straight. In 

 tying a shoot down it must be done 

 gradually — that is, not tied down all 

 the way at once, or probably it will 

 snap off. Another point I have noticed 

 is that vines should be tied down when 

 the sun shines, as there is less danger 

 of their breaking. To help in this I 

 used to sling the main rod about three 

 inches below the wire and then the 

 lateral did not have to be bent so far 

 to get it to the wire. As to the crop- 

 ping of the vine the second year, a 

 bunch to the vine is sufficient, and one 

 pound to a foot of rod is about the 

 crop to be carried afterwards. 



Pruning. 



In pruning back the vines after the 



foliage is off, they should be cut in 

 close to about two eyes which are at 

 the base of the shoot close to the rod, 

 as only one eye is necessary; this will 

 avoid large unsightly spurs. They 

 should be pruned early, or they are 

 very apt to bleed; this is caused by 

 the flowing of the sap. Should they 

 bleed they can be stopped by painting 

 over the cut with a mixture of shellac 

 and alcohol. There is more harm done 

 by overcropping the first few seasons 

 than we think. A vine grows so vig- 

 orously that we are apt to think it 

 capable of carrying more fruit than it 

 is really able to, and if there is one 

 thing more than another that I would 

 warn the beginner against it is over- 

 cropping, as it takes a long time for 

 them to recuperate after it is once 

 done. 



Another means of temporary crop- 

 ping is by pot vines, and is very fas- 

 cinating to most people. Years ago 

 it was very fashionable in England, as 

 grapes .so grown were taken to the 

 dining room and used from the vine. 

 Bunches about one-half to one pound 

 were grown in this way. 



Of course to get fine berries thin- 

 ning must be resorted to and this takes 

 practice to acquire and a knowledge 

 of the vine is necessary, as some va- 

 rieties grow so much larger than 

 others. A good way is to first cut out 

 all the inside berries and then take all 

 the small berries out, thinning the re- 

 mainder so that they will fill up solid 

 and not be too crowded. Later you 

 will find that it will be necessary to 

 take a few more out. 



General Cultural Advice. 



As to temperature, start with a night 

 temperature of 45 deg. — the day 10 or 

 15 deg. higher — raising gradually as 

 the buds swell until a temperature at 

 night of CO to 65 deg. may be main- 

 tained, when the vine is in good 

 growth. During the flowering period 

 a rather lower temperature is desir- 

 able, and a free passage of air main- 

 tained to get the pollen dry. I found 

 even with Muscats that they set bet- 

 ter in a lower temperature than in a 

 high one. All I ever did was to give 

 the vines a good shaking while the 

 sun was shining and the ventilation 

 on the house, and in the case of Mus- 

 cats I drew my hand lightly down the 

 bunch. Another method is to give a 

 very light syringing when they are 

 ready to set. When the seeds are be- 

 ing formed, a rather lower tempera- 

 ture should be kept, and when color- 



ing, plenty of air and judicious- water- 

 ing is necessary to bring out the best 

 flavor. Plenty of moisture should be 

 kept in the house when they are start- 

 ing and growing, until flowering and 

 coloring time, when it should be kept 

 drier, gradually lessening it until the 

 fruit is ripe, when the house should 

 be kept dry as possible. The border 

 should be kept on the dry side but not 

 so dry as to cause the fruit to shrivel. 



Care After Fruiting. 



After the fruit is cut, many growers 

 neglect their vines. This should not 

 be. They should be syringed daily to 

 clean the foliage and if any red spider 

 has got in, it can be got rid of in this 

 way. Another good practice is to 

 shorten the growths after the fruit is 

 cut, letting in more light and air to 

 ripen the wood, and also helping to 

 plump the buds near the rod. All the 

 air possible night and day, and even 

 a little frost is what they want, and to 

 keep cool as possible until you are 

 ready to start them. Before starting, 

 all loose bark should be trimmed off, 

 but I don't approve of a regular skin- 

 ning of the rods. Formerly a coating 

 of mud, soot, sulphur and cow manure 

 was painted on, but either kerosene 

 emulsion or Scalecide is all that is 

 necessary to clean up the vines. The 

 house should be thoroughly washed, 

 and if the vines have been badly in- 

 fested with insect pests it is well, if 

 not painting, to go over the entire 

 wood and iron work with kerosene. 



Feeding 



As to feeding; the grape being a 

 rampant grower, naturally it needs 

 liberal treatment, and I have found 

 that after they get into growth you 

 can give them feed about every time 

 you water them, except perhaps dur- 

 ing the stoning period, when they are 

 to some extent at a standstill. I like 

 to fork in lightly at starting time a 

 good dressing of bone, following this 

 up with sheep manure when they are 

 from four to six inches long, as no 

 new roots are formed until that time. 

 Then alternately bone, sheep manure, 

 dried blood and one or two dressings 

 of Thompson's vine manure, one 

 pound to the square yard, when a 

 mulching of cow manure is very bene- 

 ficial. I think more of blood and bone 

 than of the others, the bone being rich 

 in phosphoric acid builds up in fruit- 

 ing form the wood produced by the 

 nitrogenous manure. Still if I was 

 tied to one manure I should say that 



